Poem: The glass half empty...

Books & Poetry

Wednesday April 01, 2015 Comments

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Top dogs and Cupid may have other sides to them, depending which way you look at things, according to this week’s brace of offerings from Valerie Volk.

The glass half empty…

Such a little cherub, isn’t he?
But then, the rose has thorns.
Sugar will make you fat
(or rot your teeth, at least).
The sun that gives such welcome warmth
can also burn, cause melanomas.
The telephone that brings good news
can also bear your parting lover’s last goodbye.
Consider this: for all his sweet cherubic innocence
Cupid carries what? A bow and arrows…

Stratification

Top dogs… sleek, fat,
with shiny coats
and bright bright eyes…
These have it all.
Fame, power, prestige.
They strut the streets like kings.
But slinking round the corners,
huddled in the alleyways,
matted fur, nowhere to sleep,
who cares for underdogs?

Valerie Volk’s poetry and short stories have appeared in journals and anthologies, and her first collection of poems, “In Due Season”, won the 2009 Omega CALEB Prize for Poetry. She has also published three verse novels: “Promise of Peaches”, “Even Grimmer Tales” and “Passion Play”.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.

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<h1>Poem: The glass half empty...</h1>

<address><a href="https://inreview.com.au/contributors/compiled-by-john-miles/" class="author">Compiled by John Miles</a></address>
											
							<p>Top dogs and Cupid may have other sides to them, depending which way you look at things, according to this week’s brace of offerings from Valerie Volk.</p>
<h4 style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="#the-glass-half-empty" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="the-glass-half-empty"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>The glass half empty…</strong></h4>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Such a little cherub, isn’t he?<br />
But then, the rose has thorns.<br />
Sugar will make you fat<br />
(or rot your teeth, at least).<br />
The sun that gives such welcome warmth<br />
can also burn, cause melanomas.<br />
The telephone that brings good news<br />
can also bear your parting lover’s last goodbye.<br />
Consider this: for all his sweet cherubic innocence<br />
Cupid carries what? A bow and arrows…</p>
<h4 style="padding-left: 30px;"><a href="#stratification" aria-hidden="true" class="aal_anchor" id="stratification"><svg aria-hidden="true" class="aal_svg" height="16" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16 16" width="16"><path fill-rule="evenodd" d="M4 9h1v1H4c-1.5 0-3-1.69-3-3.5S2.55 3 4 3h4c1.45 0 3 1.69 3 3.5 0 1.41-.91 2.72-2 3.25V8.59c.58-.45 1-1.27 1-2.09C10 5.22 8.98 4 8 4H4c-.98 0-2 1.22-2 2.5S3 9 4 9zm9-3h-1v1h1c1 0 2 1.22 2 2.5S13.98 12 13 12H9c-.98 0-2-1.22-2-2.5 0-.83.42-1.64 1-2.09V6.25c-1.09.53-2 1.84-2 3.25C6 11.31 7.55 13 9 13h4c1.45 0 3-1.69 3-3.5S14.5 6 13 6z"></path></svg></a><strong>Stratification</strong></h4>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Top dogs… sleek, fat,<br />
with shiny coats<br />
and bright bright eyes…<br />
These have it all.<br />
Fame, power, prestige.<br />
They strut the streets like kings.<br />
But slinking round the corners,<br />
huddled in the alleyways,<br />
matted fur, nowhere to sleep,<br />
who cares for underdogs?</p>
<p><em>Valerie Volk’s poetry and short stories have appeared in journals and anthologies, and her first collection of poems, “In Due Season”, won the 2009 Omega CALEB Prize for Poetry. She has also published three verse novels: “Promise of Peaches”, “Even Grimmer Tales” and “Passion Play”.</em></p>
<p><strong><em>Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to <a href="mailto:poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au">poetscorner@solsticemedia.com.au</a>. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.</em></strong></p>
<p> </p>
							<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://inreview.com.au" target=_blank  rel="canonical">InReview</a> under a Creative Commons licence. Read the <a href="https://inreview.com.au/inreview/books-and-poetry/2015/04/01/poem-the-glass-half-empty/" target=_blank  rel="canonical">original article</a>.</p>
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